Lindner Center of Hope
Integrated Campaign | Video
Raising awareness and $50 million.
CHALLENGE: Inspire donations to the Lindner Center of HOPE (LCOH), a national leader in mental health care and research, and help them reach their most ambitious goal ever – $50 million. And at the same time, lift the shroud of silence and stigma surrounding mental illness.
IDEA: Using powerful statistics, storytelling and imagery, captivate readers and viewers with a campaign developed around the concept of a “Silent Epidemic”.
STORY: The statistics are nothing short of staggering. Mental illness is the #1 health problem facing our nation, yet research and access to treatment are severely underfunded, the mental health system overburdened.
Magnifying the problem, mental illness remains shrouded in stigma. So millions avoid seeking treatment and suffer needlessly.
Having served as a lifeline for more than 40,000 patients since opening in 2008, few places are as qualified as LCOH to effect lasting change in the understanding, treatment and management of mental illness. But to have the necessary impact, the non-profit needs the support of thousands of caring and generous people in Cincinnati and beyond.
Their goal was aggressive and exciting – to raise $50 million in donations and grants. To be heard, we knew we needed to stand out and be disruptive.
Though nearly everyone has a story of how mental illness has touched their life, it’s spoken of only in hushed tones in our society. The shame, silence and stigma cause millions to avoid seeking treatment.
To end the silence, we set out to start the conversation.
A 48-page full-color brochure revealed the breadth of the problem and asked for supporting donations.
The brochure alone has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, including a single donation of $250,000.
ChallengeofHope.org was launched to provide foundational messaging.
All communication, including :30 TV, print, radio, social media and murals throughout the city, directed people to the site, educating them on mental illness and the mission of LCOH. It also invited them to “Make Waves”, i.e., “sound waves”, by recording and sharing their stories on the site.
For the Center’s annual fundraising gala, a video told the emotionally gripping story of an LOCH patient.
The gala raised $3,721,000 in donations – the largest amount ever generated for a non-profit in Cincinnati by a single event.
Initially intended to run only once, the spot was so well-received the client continued running it locally for several months.
